


Vitrified

by spiralicious



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Community: Avatar_500, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-20
Updated: 2013-09-20
Packaged: 2017-12-27 02:32:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/973238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiralicious/pseuds/spiralicious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko tries his hand at earth bending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vitrified

**Author's Note:**

> I originally wrote this for avatar_500, Final Prompt "Element," as part of "Out with a Bang," under the username kattrip033 at livejournal.

Zuko’s eyes were once again drawn to Toph’s hands as she manipulated her space earth. The way she so effortlessly changed its shape to entertain herself was endlessly fascinating to him, not that he had a clue why. He knew it was important not to get caught staring. Things were awkward in the group as it was and he didn’t need them to think he was a bigger weirdo than they already did. But he’d never really gotten to watch another bender who was so confident in their element work, at least not one of a different nation and not one using their skills at play anyway. She had a self-assuredness he was sure he’d never master. He had bravado and he worked damned hard impatiently improving himself. It was never enough. He was almost jealous.

“You got something to say, Sparky?” Toph didn’t even turn her head to face his direction.

“Uh, no.” Zuko turned away quickly and poked a stick at the ground.

She couldn’t really see his fire bending. She could sense the movements and guess the direction, but that wasn’t the same. When he practiced and trained Aang, she tracked his breathing and heart rate. There was a beauty to the rhythms, one she could appreciate. Sometimes, she’d find herself sitting close because he was always warm. Even though she’d been burned, she always wondered what it felt like to hold fire in her hands and move it around like she manipulated her space earth. She was almost jealous.

“You ok?”

“No, I’ve been struck dumb in awe by your fancy light show.” She made sure the sarcasm was laid on extra thick.

He almost fell for it as Sokka had so many times, his eyes briefly brightening at the almost compliment until the sarcasm soaked in and he remembered her blindness. He grunted and walked off.

Sitting by the river away from camp, Zuko picked up a handful of dirt. He passed it back and forth between his hands, memorizing the texture, watching it fall through his fingers. He didn’t even hear her walk up behind him.

“You know that’s not how it works, right?”

Zuko nearly jumped out of his skin. “Of course I know that’s not how it works!”

“Looked like some lame-assed attempt at earth bending to me.”

In response, Zuko dug his hands into the soft sand by the river, releasing an intense heat. Afterwards he got up and spat back, “How’s that for earth bending?” before walking off.

Toph waited for the ground to cool and investigated where Zuko had his little hissy fit. In the sand was a little glass heart.

“Idiot.” Toph blushed all the way back to camp.


End file.
